Pond Algae Solutions Blog
By Mark
This amazing video shows a side of our ponds that we would rarely see, at least without the aid of a microscope.
In truth, ponds are home to more than just fish, snails, turtles and the like.
Much smaller and more inconspicuous are the many tiny animals that make up an aquatic kingdom.
You’ll see water fleas, bryozoans, water mites, mayfly nymphs, ostracods, and, of course, hydras throughout the video.
The average size of most of them is less than 1 mm.
By Mark
One question I get asked a lot in the fall of every year is, “should I continue to use beneficial bacteria in my pond even though it’s getting cold?”
It’s a great question and one that I’ll cover in the video below as well as the short article a bit farther down the page.
There’s absolutely no question that beneficial bacteria is great for a pond’s health. And for most bacteria products, it’s safe to assume you could use them in at least 2 out of the 4 seasons that many of us experience.
But as the weather cools off in the fall, and particular into the winter, you’ll want to make note of the blend of bacteria you’re using and make sure it’s an “all season” or cold temperature bacteria. If it isn’t it simply won’t work very well and you’ll be wasting your time and money.
Most bacterial formulas on the pond market today will work adequately down to about 50 degrees. Some will slow down a bit higher than this, but 50 degrees is usually the cut off line for standard bacteria.
Cold water formulas on the other hand will continue to work down to about freezing or just above it. And this gives you the opportunity to continue keeping the pond in balance, and it helps to insure that good water quality is maintained.
For our purposes, at least in most cases, algae will go away when the weather cools, and ideally fish show should down on their eating (you should stop feeding them altogether at around 45 to 50 degrees F. by the way) so the bacteria use, wouldn’t be used to help with algae problems…but it’s still useful for keeping ammonia and nitrites in check, and it will help keep any organic nutrients down as well.
All in all, as good bacteria always does, it will help to keep a pond’s system more in balance and clean, and in many cases, for those ponds that remain active through the winter, it will help get a bit of start as the weather warms up in the spring.
Note: Our PondBiotix products, other than the polar blend bacteria and mdc formula, are warm water formulas. In contrast, our Biosphere Pro bacteria as well as the 2500 system are all season products that will work down to 34 degrees F.
By Mark
Wow, what a heat wave.
It started as a relatively mild spring but in the last week much of the U.S. has felt the heat of summer early. In Iowa we had three straight days in the mid-nineties and now the east coast is getting the same.
As pond owners, we deal with a lot of different things. Every time the weather changes, it can bring new challenges or things to deal with. Heat and hot temps are no exception.
If you have fish, there is simply nothing that can protect them more than a good source of supplemental aeration…and this goes for any size of pond or water garden. There are no exceptions in this case.
In this week’s video pond tip I talk about what aeration is (and what it is not) and cover some of the more common solutions that exist for increasing the vital oxygen for your pond.
Two points about the video below. First of all, you may find that the video size below is a bit small and if so, you can watch a slightly larger rendition by clicking on the youtube graphic in the lower right of the player. Also I want to apologize for the scrolling at the end. It made me dizzy but some of you may enjoy it:)
To view the webpage shown in the video please click here.
By Mark
Water lilies have become one of the most popular pond plants for small pond owners and for good reason. They’re beautiful and functional in the sense that they provide shade for ponds that get a lot of sun (and we know how that can help with green water algae right?) and provide protection for your fish.
Working with lilies isn’t really that hard and with a few simple tips you’ll be on your way.
This week I wanted to share a video with you that will cover just that.
My friend Gord Nickel has been a professional horticulturalist for almost 30 years and in this short piece you’ll learn the basics of how to divide a water lily and the best way to repot it for placement in your pond.
By Mark
Pond plants are a wonderful addition to any pond and we’ve talked about all of the benefits of having them. However as fall approaches many folks wonder what to do with them. The video below will help a bit in this effort and maybe clarify a few things that will make your fall pond preparation a bit easier.
[youtube width=”425″ height=”355″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz4bzzJjhp8[/youtube]
Got any other fall pond plant tips? Share them below if you’d like!
By Mark
One of our loyal readers kindly reminded me that I failed to mention anything about pond plants as we get into fall and winter.
My apologies!!!
Keep in mind though that in most cases throughout the summer, my main mission is to keep a particular plant out of the picture…but we’re not talking about pond algae control today.
And before I fall asleep in blissful hibernation…here’s a video with a few tips on caring for your desirable pond plants in the fall and winter.
[youtube width=”425″ height=”355″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz4bzzJjhp8&feature=youtube_gdata[/youtube]
Now this video is very basic and not comprehensive by any means but it should help a few folks that may wonder about such things.
Like any good gardener, a pond owner should get to know more about the specific plants they prefer to have in their pond. Are they hardy, marginal, or tropical? And they should get some idea of their temperature zone using a plant hardiness zone map or other resource such as this one from the National Arboretum.
It’s also a good idea to have a plan ahead of time in terms of what you might want to do with your plants coming into the fall. Whether you leave them in the bottom of the pond, cover the pond in some protective way, bring them indoors, or simply discard them and plan again for next spring is a personal decision based on what you may want to do and what you can get away with in terms of conditions.
If you’ve had any experience in working with your pond plants over the fall and winter, please share your thoughts below.
They are always very much appreciated!